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BMODONALD.

BOOT-0R SHOE.

No. 598,385. Patented Feb. 1, 1898.

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FRANK MCDONALD, OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE THIRD TO CLARENCE J. HERRETT, OF SAME PLACE.

BOOT OR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,385, dated February 1, 1898. Application filed March 6, 1897. serial. No. 626,304. (N0 model.)

To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK MCDONALD, of Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Boots or Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a boot orshoe embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the breast of a detachable heel with the heel-coupler attached. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the heel part of the boot or shoe combined with a removable heel by means of a suitable coupler, a part being broken away for greater clearness. Fig. 4 is a central sectional view taken at line 4 4. of Fig. 2. modification inthe heel-coupler.

The object of my invention is to produce boots, shoes, and other articles of foot-gear the heels of which may be detached and replaced by means of a suitable coupler, which grips both the heel part of the shoe and side portions of the heel. By this construction worn-out heels may be quickly replaced with new ones, or heels of one material may be readily replaced by heels of another material. Thus, for example, one may have a set of rubber heels, a set of leather heels, and a set of spike-holding heels for his boots or shoes, and any desired kind of heels may be mounted on the boots or shoes to suit emergenciesor the particular needs of the wearer for the time being. Thus the lumberman may use spike-carrying heels on his boots during the working hours and replace them with plain heels of rubber, leather, wood, or other material for use in camp, and so in many pursuits the wearer can readily provide his footgear with any desired kind of heel.

My invention consists, broadly, in the combination of an article of foot-gear with a removable heel and a heel-coupler which grips both foot-gear and heel to hold them together for use.

Other features of my invention are pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings illustrating my inventibn in the best way now known to be, 1 represents a boot, shoe, or other article of footgear. 2 is the sole, and 3 the heel. A me- Fig. 5 shows a chanical coupler grips the heel portion of solo 2 and sides of heel 3 and couples the shoe and heel. Coupler 4 is tightened in. place by any suitable device, such as a screw 5, through lugs 5 5 near the extremities of the arms 11 and 12, which extend from the body of coupleretand lie on the breast of heel 3. The heel is preferably provided with a suitable projection 6 at and across the upper front portion of the-heel, and the upper edges of arms 11 and 12 abut against the under side of this projection 6 when the coupler is in place. The coupler in its present form is provided with an inwardly-turned lip 4 preferably continuous, at its upper edge, and this lip enters the space or recessbetween the heel portion of the shoe and sole 2. When the arms 11 and 12 are tightened and clamped,

lip 4 is forced tightly over the upper margin of the heel part of sole 2 and is fixed firmly to the shoe. The body portion 4:, extending downwardly below the lip 4t, grips the sides of the heel, preferably continuously around it, and the heel is thereby held coupled to the shoe. Preferably the body portion of the coupler dis curved inwardly along its lower margin, and the sides and back portion of the heel are curved outwardly and upwardly to the heel-seat. A nut 7 is used with screw 5 through lugs 5. tions 8 from the coupler 4 may be used to engage the sole 2, just above the heel-seat,above the breast of the heel.

I desire it to be understood that my coupler may be varied in many respects, if desired, without departure from my invention.

By loosening the coupler new or different kinds of heels may be put on and taken off, and my invention will be found to be of great service to lumbermen, pedestrians, policemen, motormen, and others. A leather .shoe may be provided temporarily with rubber heels for use by persons subject'to jarring (like motormen and locomotive-engineers) Pointed inward projec-' when at work. The projections 6 may be of any proper contour sufficient to form a hearing for the arms 11 and 12, which when tightened by the screw 5 tends to crowd the breastcorner of the heel-seat against the under surface of the sole and form a tight -joint at that point.

In Fig. 5, showing a modification, the arms 11 and 12 of the coupler overlap on the breast of the heel. Arm 12 is formed with a lengthwise slot 10, and a clamping-screw 9 through a hole in the outer arm and slot 10 sinks into the breast of the heel and clamps the overlapped arms together and to the breast of the heel.

WVhat I claim is 1. A boot or shoe heel, having a projection from the breast thereof near the heel-seat, in combination with an article of foot-gear and a coupler which engages the foot-gear and also the heel and extends under said projection.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a heelcoupler formed with an inwardly-turned lip at its upper part; an inwardly-deflected body part; inwardly-extending arms at its front name to this specification, in the presence of 7 two subscribing Witnesses, on this 23d day of February, A. D. 1897.

FRANK MCDONALD.

Witnesses:

EDWARD S. BEACH, E. A. ALLEN. 

